WO2005002914A1 - A seat - Google Patents

A seat Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2005002914A1
WO2005002914A1 PCT/GB2004/002774 GB2004002774W WO2005002914A1 WO 2005002914 A1 WO2005002914 A1 WO 2005002914A1 GB 2004002774 W GB2004002774 W GB 2004002774W WO 2005002914 A1 WO2005002914 A1 WO 2005002914A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
seat
seat according
insert
support
insert portion
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2004/002774
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Terry Glyn Moule
Original Assignee
The Way To Win Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by The Way To Win Limited filed Critical The Way To Win Limited
Publication of WO2005002914A1 publication Critical patent/WO2005002914A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/64—Back-rests or cushions
    • B60N2/646—Back-rests or cushions shape of the cushion
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/64—Back-rests or cushions
    • B60N2/643—Back-rests or cushions shape of the back-rests

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a seat.
  • seats comprising a seat portion and a backrest portion.
  • the seats are often such that the seat portion is not comfortable to sit on and does give adequate support to the posterior of a person sitting on the seat portion.
  • the seat portion may, for example, restrict the positioning of the person's pelvic girdle and it may apply undue pressure to the person's ischial tuberosities, in addition to restricting local blood flow and pinching local nerves in the region of the person's posterior. It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problem.
  • the present invention provides a seat comprising a seat portion and a backrest portion, the seat portion comprising a main portion and an insert portion, the insert portion being such that it fits into a complementarily shaped recess in the main portion, the insert portion comprising a pair of pads which are positioned so as to be underneath the cheeks of the posterior of a person sitting on the insert portion, the insert portion comprising a pair of legs which are positioned so as to be underneath the thighs of the person sitting on the seat portion, and the insert portion being such that it is able to move in the main portion and thus adjust to seating requirements of the person sitting on the seat.
  • the seat portion may give a good degree of comfort to a person sitting on the seat, irrespective of the seat being used at different times by different persons of different heights and weight.
  • the seat portion may be one in which the pads and the legs have curved faces which engage complementarily curved faces in the recess, thereby to facilitate the movement of the seat portion in the main portion.
  • the movement with the complementarily curved faces can be a sliding/tilting movement.
  • the insert portion is softer than the main portion.
  • the insert portion may be made of a foam material of a first density
  • the main portion may be made of a foam material of a second density
  • the first density less than the second density. If desired however, the insert portion may be more dense, i.e.
  • the insert portion does not have any voids of the type used to increase flexibility and/or save material. If desired, the insert portion may have the voids.
  • the seat portion may include a heating element
  • the backrest portion may comprise a frame, a support portion and spring means, the spring means being such as to spring mount the support portion within the frame whereby a person sitting on the seat and resting their back on the support portion is able to cause the support portion to adjust its position with respect to the frame and thereby to provide optimum lumbar support for the back of the person irrespective of the height and weight of the person.
  • the support portion is such that it increases in thickness in a direction towards the seat portion.
  • the support portion will usually be a rectilinear support portion.
  • the rectilinear support portion is preferably rectangular in shape with the longest sides of the rectangle extending towards the seat portion.
  • the backrest portion may be one in which the spring means is a plurality of spring elements.
  • the spring elements are resilient straps or resilient cords.
  • the frame will usually be a peripheral frame which extends around the periphery of the backrest portion.
  • the backrest portion may include a headrest portion.
  • the seat may be any suitable and appropriate seat.
  • the seat may be a vehicle seat for a motor vehicle, an aircraft seat for an aircraft, a boat seat for a boat, a military seat for a military vehicle, a train seat for a train, a hovercraft seat for a hovercraft, a domestic seat for domestic use, an office seat for office use, or an industrial seat for use in industrial premises.
  • the motor vehicle may be any suitable and appropriate motor vehicle including a car, van, bus, coach or lorry.
  • the seat is a seat for a boat or a hovercraft, then the seat may be especially advantageous for ferries where passengers are generally required to sit together in their seats for the duration of their journey.
  • Figure 1 shows a seat comprising a seat portion and a backrest portion, the backrest portion being partially cut away; and Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of inner components of the seat portion shown in Figure 1.
  • a seat 2 comprising a seat portion 4 and a backrest portion 6.
  • the backrest portion 6 comprises a frame 8, a support portion 10 and spring means 12.
  • the spring means 12 is such as to spring mount the support portion 10 within the frame 8 whereby a person (not shown) sitting on the seat 2 and resting their back on the support portion 10 is able to cause the support portion 10 to adjust its position with respect to the frame 8 and thereby to provide optimum lumbar support for the back of the person irrespective of the height and weight of the person.
  • the support portion 10 is such that it increases in thickness in a direction towards the seat portion 4. As can be seen from Figure 1 , the increase in the thickness is relatively small at a top part 14 of the support portion 10. The increase in thickness becomes more substantial towards a bottom part 16 of the support portion 10. The increase in thickness is achieved by having a contoured front face of the backrest portion 6 and a substantially flat rear face.
  • the support portion 10 is rectangular in shape with the longest sides 18 of the rectangle extending towards the seat portion 4.
  • the spring means 12 is a plurality of spring elements 20. Any suitable and appropriate spring elements 20 may be employed so that, for example, the spring elements 20 may be resilient straps or resilient cords.
  • the frame 8 is a peripheral frame which extends around the periphery of the backrest portion 6.
  • the seat 2 includes a headrest portion 22.
  • the seat 2 shown in the drawings is a vehicle seat for use in a vehicle in the form of a car.
  • the backrest portion 6 can be of any suitable and appropriate shape and construction.
  • the backrest portion 6 may be adjusted with respect to the seat portion 10 by an adjuster knob 24.
  • the seat 2 is provided with upholstery 26 as shown. This upholstery 26 will usually be foam material covered by an appropriate fabric.
  • the seat portion 4 comprises a main portion 28 and an insert portion 30.
  • the insert portion 30 is such that it fits into a complementarily shaped recess 32 in the main portion 28.
  • the insert portion 30 comprises a pair of pads 34 which are positioned so as to be underneath the cheeks of the posterior of the person sitting on the seat portion 4.
  • the insert portion 30 also comprises a pair of legs 36 which are positioned so as to be underneath the thighs of the person sitting on the seat portion 4.
  • the insert portion 30 is such that it is able to move in the main portion 28 and thus adjust to the requirements of the person sitting on the seat portion 4. More specifically, the pads 34 have curved faces 38, and the legs 36 have curved faces 40. The curved faces 38 engage complementarily curved faces 42 in the recess 32. Similarly, the curved faces 40 engage complementarily shaped curved faces 44 in the recess 32. The insert portion 30 is thus able to move in the main portion 28 with a sliding/tilting action.
  • the insert portion 30 is made of a foam material of a first density.
  • the main portion 28 is made of a foam material of a second density.
  • the density of the foam material of the insert portion 30 is less than the density of the foam material of the main portion 28 so that the insert portion 30 is softer than the main portion 28.
  • the insert portion 30 does not have any voids of the type used in foam material to increase flexibility and/or save on foam material. Thus, although the insert portion 30 is soft, it provides a good support base for the posterior of the person sitting on the seat portion 4.
  • the main portion 28 and the insert portion 30 are covered by the upholstery 26 as shown in Figure 1. Prior to covering with the upholstery 26, a heating element can be laid on top of the insert portion 30 if it is desired to provide the seat 2 with a heated facility for the seat portion 4.
  • the seat 2 shown in the drawings is a car seat but it may alternatively be a seat for another type of motor vehicle, an aircraft seat, a domestic seat, or a seat for any other suitable and appropriate purpose.
  • the seat portion 4 and the backrest portion 6 may be of shapes other than those shown.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Mattresses And Other Support Structures For Chairs And Beds (AREA)

Abstract

A seat (2) comprising a seat portion (4) and a backrest portion (6), the seat portion (4) comprising a main portion (28) and an insert portion (30), the insert portion (30) being such that it fits into a complementarily shaped recess (32) in the main portion (28), the insert portion (30) comprising a pair of pads (34) which are positioned so as to be underneath the cheeks of the posterior of a person sifting on the seat portion (4), the insert portion (30) comprising a pair of legs (36) which are positioned so as to be underneath the thighs of the person sifting on the insert portion (30), and the insert portion (30) being such that it is able to move in the main portion (28) and thus adjust to the requirements of the person sifting on the seat portion (4).

Description

SEAT WITH ADJUSTABLE CUSHION
This invention relates to a seat. There are many different types of seats comprising a seat portion and a backrest portion. The seats are often such that the seat portion is not comfortable to sit on and does give adequate support to the posterior of a person sitting on the seat portion. The seat portion may, for example, restrict the positioning of the person's pelvic girdle and it may apply undue pressure to the person's ischial tuberosities, in addition to restricting local blood flow and pinching local nerves in the region of the person's posterior. It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problem. Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a seat comprising a seat portion and a backrest portion, the seat portion comprising a main portion and an insert portion, the insert portion being such that it fits into a complementarily shaped recess in the main portion, the insert portion comprising a pair of pads which are positioned so as to be underneath the cheeks of the posterior of a person sitting on the insert portion, the insert portion comprising a pair of legs which are positioned so as to be underneath the thighs of the person sitting on the seat portion, and the insert portion being such that it is able to move in the main portion and thus adjust to seating requirements of the person sitting on the seat. The seat portion may give a good degree of comfort to a person sitting on the seat, irrespective of the seat being used at different times by different persons of different heights and weight. The seat portion may be one in which the pads and the legs have curved faces which engage complementarily curved faces in the recess, thereby to facilitate the movement of the seat portion in the main portion. The movement with the complementarily curved faces can be a sliding/tilting movement. Preferably, the insert portion is softer than the main portion. With such an arrangement, the insert portion may be made of a foam material of a first density, the main portion may be made of a foam material of a second density, and the first density less than the second density. If desired however, the insert portion may be more dense, i.e. harder, than the main portion. Preferably, the insert portion does not have any voids of the type used to increase flexibility and/or save material. If desired, the insert portion may have the voids. The seat portion may include a heating element The backrest portion may comprise a frame, a support portion and spring means, the spring means being such as to spring mount the support portion within the frame whereby a person sitting on the seat and resting their back on the support portion is able to cause the support portion to adjust its position with respect to the frame and thereby to provide optimum lumbar support for the back of the person irrespective of the height and weight of the person. Preferably, the support portion is such that it increases in thickness in a direction towards the seat portion. The support portion will usually be a rectilinear support portion. The rectilinear support portion is preferably rectangular in shape with the longest sides of the rectangle extending towards the seat portion. The backrest portion may be one in which the spring means is a plurality of spring elements. Preferably, the spring elements are resilient straps or resilient cords. The frame will usually be a peripheral frame which extends around the periphery of the backrest portion. The backrest portion may include a headrest portion. The seat may be any suitable and appropriate seat. Thus, for example, the seat may be a vehicle seat for a motor vehicle, an aircraft seat for an aircraft, a boat seat for a boat, a military seat for a military vehicle, a train seat for a train, a hovercraft seat for a hovercraft, a domestic seat for domestic use, an office seat for office use, or an industrial seat for use in industrial premises. Where the seat is a vehicle seat for a motor vehicle, then the motor vehicle may be any suitable and appropriate motor vehicle including a car, van, bus, coach or lorry. Where the seat is a seat for a boat or a hovercraft, then the seat may be especially advantageous for ferries where passengers are generally required to sit together in their seats for the duration of their journey. Where the seat is a domestic seat, then the domestic seat may be a chair, armchair or settee. An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a seat comprising a seat portion and a backrest portion, the backrest portion being partially cut away; and Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of inner components of the seat portion shown in Figure 1. Referring to the drawings, there is shown a seat 2 comprising a seat portion 4 and a backrest portion 6. The backrest portion 6 comprises a frame 8, a support portion 10 and spring means 12. The spring means 12 is such as to spring mount the support portion 10 within the frame 8 whereby a person (not shown) sitting on the seat 2 and resting their back on the support portion 10 is able to cause the support portion 10 to adjust its position with respect to the frame 8 and thereby to provide optimum lumbar support for the back of the person irrespective of the height and weight of the person. The support portion 10 is such that it increases in thickness in a direction towards the seat portion 4. As can be seen from Figure 1 , the increase in the thickness is relatively small at a top part 14 of the support portion 10. The increase in thickness becomes more substantial towards a bottom part 16 of the support portion 10. The increase in thickness is achieved by having a contoured front face of the backrest portion 6 and a substantially flat rear face. The support portion 10 is rectangular in shape with the longest sides 18 of the rectangle extending towards the seat portion 4. The spring means 12 is a plurality of spring elements 20. Any suitable and appropriate spring elements 20 may be employed so that, for example, the spring elements 20 may be resilient straps or resilient cords. The frame 8 is a peripheral frame which extends around the periphery of the backrest portion 6. The seat 2 includes a headrest portion 22. The seat 2 shown in the drawings is a vehicle seat for use in a vehicle in the form of a car. The backrest portion 6 can be of any suitable and appropriate shape and construction. The backrest portion 6 may be adjusted with respect to the seat portion 10 by an adjuster knob 24. The seat 2 is provided with upholstery 26 as shown. This upholstery 26 will usually be foam material covered by an appropriate fabric. Any suitable and appropriate type of upholstery 26 can be employed. The upholstery 26 used in the backrest portion 6 will usually directly engage the adjacent front face of the support portion 10. The support portion 10 will usually be made of a rigid material such for example as a moulded plastics material. As shown in Figure 2, the seat portion 4 comprises a main portion 28 and an insert portion 30. The insert portion 30 is such that it fits into a complementarily shaped recess 32 in the main portion 28. The insert portion 30 comprises a pair of pads 34 which are positioned so as to be underneath the cheeks of the posterior of the person sitting on the seat portion 4. The insert portion 30 also comprises a pair of legs 36 which are positioned so as to be underneath the thighs of the person sitting on the seat portion 4. The insert portion 30 is such that it is able to move in the main portion 28 and thus adjust to the requirements of the person sitting on the seat portion 4. More specifically, the pads 34 have curved faces 38, and the legs 36 have curved faces 40. The curved faces 38 engage complementarily curved faces 42 in the recess 32. Similarly, the curved faces 40 engage complementarily shaped curved faces 44 in the recess 32. The insert portion 30 is thus able to move in the main portion 28 with a sliding/tilting action. The insert portion 30 is made of a foam material of a first density. The main portion 28 is made of a foam material of a second density. The density of the foam material of the insert portion 30 is less than the density of the foam material of the main portion 28 so that the insert portion 30 is softer than the main portion 28. The insert portion 30 does not have any voids of the type used in foam material to increase flexibility and/or save on foam material. Thus, although the insert portion 30 is soft, it provides a good support base for the posterior of the person sitting on the seat portion 4. The main portion 28 and the insert portion 30 are covered by the upholstery 26 as shown in Figure 1. Prior to covering with the upholstery 26, a heating element can be laid on top of the insert portion 30 if it is desired to provide the seat 2 with a heated facility for the seat portion 4. It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the seat 2 shown in the drawings is a car seat but it may alternatively be a seat for another type of motor vehicle, an aircraft seat, a domestic seat, or a seat for any other suitable and appropriate purpose. The seat portion 4 and the backrest portion 6 may be of shapes other than those shown.

Claims

1. A seat comprising a seat portion and a backrest portion, the seat portion comprising a main portion and an insert portion, the insert portion being such that it fits into a complementarily shaped recess in the main portion, the insert portion comprising a pair of pads which are positioned so as to be underneath the cheeks of the posterior of a person sitting on the seat portion, the insert portion comprising a pair of legs which are positioned so as to be underneath the thighs of the person sitting on the insert portion, and the insert portion being such that it is able to move in the main portion and thus adjust to seating requirements of the person sitting on the seat portion.
2. A seat according to claim 1 in which the pads and the legs have curved faces which engage complementarily curved faces in the recess, thereby to facilitate the movement of the insert portion in the main portion.
3. A seat according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the insert portion is softer than the main portion.
4. A seat according to claim 3 in which the insert portion is made of a foam material of a first density, the main portion is made of a foam material of a second density, and the first density is less than the second density.
5. A seat according to any one of the preceding claims in which the insert portion does not have any voids of the type used to increase flexibility and/or save material.
6. A seat according to any one of the preceding claims and in which the seat portion includes a heating element.
7. A seat according to any one of the preceding claims in which the backrest portion comprises a frame, a support portion and spring means, the spring means being such as to spring mount the support portion within the frame whereby a person sitting on the seat and resting their back on the support portion is able to cause the support portion to adjust its position with respect to the frame and thereby to provide optimum lumbar support for the back of the person irrespective of the height and weight of the person.
8. A seat according to claim 7 in which the support portion is such that it increases in thickness in a direction towards the seat portion.
9. A seat according to claim 7 or claim 8 in which the support portion is a rectilinear support portion.
10. A seat according to claim 9 in which the rectilinear support portion is rectangular in shape with the longest sides of the rectangle extending towards the seat portion.
11. A seat according to any one of claims 7 - 10 in which the spring means is a plurality of spring elements.
12. A seat according to claim 11 in which the spring elements are resilient straps or resilient cords.
13. A seat according to any one of claims 7 - 12 in which the frame is a peripheral frame which extends around the periphery of the backrest portion.
14. A seat according to any one of claims 7 - 13 and including a headrest portion.
PCT/GB2004/002774 2003-06-30 2004-06-28 A seat WO2005002914A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0315300.4 2003-06-30
GB0315300A GB0315300D0 (en) 2003-06-30 2003-06-30 A seat

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2005002914A1 true WO2005002914A1 (en) 2005-01-13

Family

ID=27676375

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2004/002774 WO2005002914A1 (en) 2003-06-30 2004-06-28 A seat

Country Status (2)

Country Link
GB (1) GB0315300D0 (en)
WO (1) WO2005002914A1 (en)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB478901A (en) * 1936-09-24 1938-01-27 Standard Motor Co Ltd Seat backs, particularly for the seats of motor-vehicles
US6098000A (en) * 1994-06-24 2000-08-01 Mccord Winn Textron Inc. Interactive, individually controlled, multiple bladder seating comfort adjustment system and method
DE10120167C1 (en) * 2001-04-18 2002-08-08 Brose Fahrzeugteile Adjustable vehicle seat
US6447058B1 (en) * 1999-06-25 2002-09-10 Nubax Vertical Innovations, Llc Seat means for preventing shock

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB478901A (en) * 1936-09-24 1938-01-27 Standard Motor Co Ltd Seat backs, particularly for the seats of motor-vehicles
US6098000A (en) * 1994-06-24 2000-08-01 Mccord Winn Textron Inc. Interactive, individually controlled, multiple bladder seating comfort adjustment system and method
US6447058B1 (en) * 1999-06-25 2002-09-10 Nubax Vertical Innovations, Llc Seat means for preventing shock
DE10120167C1 (en) * 2001-04-18 2002-08-08 Brose Fahrzeugteile Adjustable vehicle seat

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0315300D0 (en) 2003-08-06

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